Meet Grace Pasquale, who recently completed her CIPD HR Level 5 People Professional Apprenticeship with Reed Business School. Grace wanted to become CIPD qualified to broaden her HR knowledge and advance her career, which she achieved during her apprenticeship when she secured a promotion to Resourcing Adviser and discovered a passion for workplace wellbeing.
Here Grace tells us about her learning journey, how her confidence has grown through support from her tutor Pilar Torres-Subire, and her goals for the future.
What is your career experience in HR or L&D?
I’m relatively new to HR, I fell into it about four years ago after first studying a psychology degree with Open University between 2013 and 2019. I didn't really consider HR at the time, but I'm obviously a real people person and I was always planning on doing post grad studies.
When I returned to work after a career break in the summer of 2021, I could only work remotely, so my options were quite limited. I got a remote job through Recruit for Spouses, who are a social initiative for military spouses, doing short term contracts for recruiting activities. I'd never done recruiting before, but actually quite liked it.
What is your current role and how did it come about?
I joined the Ordnance Survey (OS) three years ago as a recruiting co-ordinator and I’m now a resourcing adviser. I do a lot of HR adviser work within my role as well, where I talk about the cross working across different teams.
How did you choose Reed Business School?
I compared a few providers, but Reed was the clear front runner for me. The thing I particularly liked was the idea of moving through the apprenticeship with the same cohort of learners. I just felt like that additional layer of peer support, getting to know the other learners, building that rapport, being in a situation where, not only were we helping one another, but it was that glimpse into other organisations and how they worked, that was really useful for me.
Which studying route did you choose for your qualification and why?
When I started thinking about HR, it was evident to me then that I needed a HR qualification and that my degree in psychology would only take me so far. Because I'd just done my degree, I felt like I couldn't justify spending out on another course. I knew that I needed to be in an environment where I was learning on the job and I was open with OS that I really wanted to be doing an apprenticeship. I've been nothing but supported by them ever since I started.
Within OS is a really tight knit group. There’s lots of cross working that that goes on and that was something that I was really fortunate with when it came to the apprenticeship. It was never an issue knowing who to talk to or knowing where to go for the different elements that that made up the apprenticeship.
How did you work with your tutor Pilar Torres-Subire and was the support helpful?
Oh, Pilar was great. Super helpful.
I never had to wait too long for replies to my queries. Her feedback was always so structured, and she provided me with the space to come to my own conclusions and tie the content into my own organisation.
When I studied with the OU, I had my fair share of great tutors, but I also had some absolutely shocking experiences, so it was really nice to have had Pilar consistently throughout. I was really fortunate and I think because of the experiences I've had before, I realised I was onto a winner early on.
What did you think of the resources we provide – VLE, webinars etc?
Overall, very impressed. I felt like there was pretty much everything that you needed and any issues were dealt with quickly when raised.
How did you find juggling work and studying?
It was tough. The nature of resourcing in OS is that we recruit on a very reactive basis. The landscape is often changeable, and we experience resourcing in real peaks and troughs - with more peaks, I have to say. So, I did find it difficult to sometimes fit in the 20%. Not only that, but I felt like I needed more time than the 20% and so quite often I was doing additional hours.
The first six months were particularly challenging. I think it's just a bit of a culture shock and it's very content heavy initially, but once I got through that I felt a lot more comfortable. I think for me, the biggest thing was the validation of getting that very first module feedback and knowing that I'd passed it.
It's a great process that you submit your draught, you get some feedback, you then revise it, and you submit it again, but that overlap of still working on one assignment when you've moved on to the next module was tricky. It was quite an iterative process - I didn't just learn it and then do the assignment and then forget about it - which was good, but tough.
What new skills and knowledge have your developed to improve your work?
For a lot of my early career in HR, I had real impostor syndrome because I was quite new to the industry and I hadn't done it before. The opportunity to have the exposure to all areas through my apprenticeship has made me feel like I've earned my place at the table.
I feel like my broader skill set is so much stronger now than it was before, but confidence is the biggest thing. I remember at the beginning I was so nervous couldn’t even do my first professional discussion. That was how low my confidence and how high my anxiety was and, doing this apprenticeship, I've overcome all of that. I still don't love public speaking and I still have all those nerves and anxiety, but it's changed the game for me in that respect.
Have you progressed your career since studying for your CIPD?
I was promoted last summer to an adviser role from coordinator. That was a year into the apprenticeship and that was always my goal right from day one of joining the organisation.
Possibly, I would have got the promotion even if I hadn't been doing the apprenticeship, however, I know I do my job so much better for the apprenticeship.
How important is it to be CIPD qualified for HR jobs?
From my experience of job searching, most adverts for HR roles want you to be working towards or to have a CIPD qualification.
I think it's possible to progress if you stay within the same organisation and tick all the boxes in that respect, but I know that for me my qualification has absolutely unlocked so many things and it will continue to do so as well.
How do you think the Level 5 will enhance your future career?
It's given me a really clear directive. I enjoy resourcing in house, but I always knew that I wanted to move on to something different eventually.
My apprenticeship paved the way for wellbeing as a real passion; I suppose that links into my psychology days. I'm still in resourcing, but I’m now also considered the wellbeing lead for the organisation I work in. I strive to eventually be doing that full time. The apprenticeship was what gave me that clear goal. I wouldn't necessarily have made my way to that on my own or it would have taken me a lot longer.
What are your ultimate career aims?
Making a difference in the world of workplace wellbeing. There's lots of noise about it, but I still feel that not enough is being done. I'm hoping that as time moves on, more organisations will commit to it rather than it being a side of the desk kind of thing.
What has been your overall experience of studying with us?
Reed Business School has consistently been great, and I recommend it to anyone that talks to me about my apprenticeship journey. I can't sing high enough praises.
Would you recommend Reed Business School to others?
Absolutely, without doubt.